Someday Yesterday
by Kage NoTenshi
Summary: You could try being Pirate King," suggested a voice from the shadows.


A couple revisions.  Why do I find all the typos _after_ I post??  -_-;

Odd little one shot…

One Piece is not mine.  If it were, I would have been assassinated by fangirls already for being overly possessive of Roronoa Zoro and actually legally owning him.  In reality, I can only dream.  

            "Someday," said the boy, his hazel eyes gleaming, "I wanna be the greatest in the world!  I'm gonna do that someday!"

            "Do what?" asked his blond friend as they walked down the docks, passing the old sailors sitting in the shade and watching the sea.  

            "Oh, I dunno right now, but whatever I do, I'll be famous for it.  I'll be known all over the world as the very best."

            "You could try being Pirate King," said a voice from the porch of an old wooden shack.  

            The boy and his friend turned.  "Pirate King?"

            "The best of the best of pirates," said the old man, leaning back in his rickety chair.  "Not a bad goal to strive for."

            "There was a Pirate King before," said the blond boy.  "A long time ago."

            "I was around then," said the old man with a smile.  "Don't go callin' me too old, now.  But you're a bright one; what's your name?"

            The blond boy grinned.  "M'real name's Hayato, but you can call me Sanji."

            The man suppressed a chuckle.  "You like the stories, huh?"

            "You bet!"

            "I do too," put in the dark-haired boy.  "I'm Shuntaro, but you'll call me Zoro, won't you?"

            "Of course," conceded the man, his face cracking into a full-fledged grin. 

            "But wouldn't it be boring becoming Pirate King these days?" mused Hayato, sitting down on the steps.  

            "I don't think so," said the old man, brushing his bangs.  They had once been black, but were now gray streaked in white.  "Even if there _are_ less pirates sailing the seas, smugglers and regular troublemakers are always in good supply.  There's also still the navy around to bother if you want."

            "Urgh," said Shuntaro, making a face.  "The navy."

            "Now, now, Zoro," said the man complacently, "the navy isn't all bad.  There are some very decent and very brave men and women there.  Some of the finest people I have ever known, in fact."

            "But they hunt pirates!  And put them in jail!"

            "With good reason.  Some people call themselves pirates, but they sail and fight only for riches and glory."

            "I'd like riches and glory," said Hayato.

            "And pretty girls?"

            "Ew, no!  Cooties…"

            The man laughed.  "Not quite like Sanji, then."

            "Heh?"

            "Oh, nothing."

            "So what's in it besides money and fame?"

            "Real pirates, ones that could be the Pirate King someday, sail for their dreams, and also for others.  Being selfish'll work for a while, but you'll land in a jam someday that you'll need help for.  It's pretty much guaranteed."

            "So you need _friends_??"

            "Loyalty is a must, even if a lot of people underestimate it.  You could say they're a good captain's greatest treasure."

            "Sounds like a sappy, bad manga," remarked Shuntaro gloomily.

            "Heheh, maybe.  But friendship isn't just heroics and swearing undying loyalty.  Hey, most of mine told me openly I was an idiot from time to time."

            "Ohh, Shuntaro does that to me!"

            "Hey, I'm Zoro, remember?"

            "Oh yeah."

            "So how do you know so much about being a pirate anyway?" demanded Hayato.  "Even my dad doesn't have ideas like that."

            "Well, what does your dad do?"

            "He's a businessman."

            "Businessmen usually don't know everything about pirates," said the man reasonably.

            "And you do?" challenged Shuntaro.  
            "Oh, heavens, no!  Just maybe more than some people."

            "But how?"

            "I told you," said the man, closing his eyes as if he were very tired.  "I was around back then.  Just a crazy youngster, but I was sailing when the Going Merry roamed the seas."

            The boys looked at him quickly.  "The Going Merry?"

            "Well, sure.  That was the ship's name.  Don't you know?"

            "No, we don't!" exclaimed Hayato.  

            "No one does," put in Shuntaro.  "It's been forgotten.  Everyone just calls it Luffy's Ship, or something like that."

            "Really now?"

            "Yeah."  They studied the man.  "So how would you know?"

            "Like I said, I was around back then.  Don't you young 'uns listen any more?"

            "You must be _really _old," said Hayato in awe.

            "That's rude, Sanji!" said Shuntaro.

            The old man laughed.  "I don't mind, really."

            "Did you know any of the pirates on Luf – er, the Going Merry?"

            "A few of them.  Fine people."

            "Wow…"

            "And you really think I could become Pirate King?" asked Shuntaro, his eyes glittering as the dreams spread themselves out in his imagination.

            "Never said you couldn't."

            "But the One Piece…  You need it to be Pirate King."

            "Ah, but Luffy got it first, is that right?"

            "Yeah," said Hayato despondently.

            "But what did he do with it?"

            Both youngsters looked at him again, sensing the hope he offered.  "No one knows…"

            "Right.  I mean, he was only human, and of course he couldn't just leave all the money, but I'm sure there's plenty of treasure left.  If you ask me, Luffy seemed like the kind of guy who would want another kid to become Pirate King after him."

            "You knew _Luffy??"_ blurted Hayato.

            The man shrugged.  "You could say that."

            "Whoa…"

            "Was he older than you?"

            "Same age."

            A short chuckle interrupted them.  All three looked round to see another old man who had been napping in the shadows stand up and walk over.  "Filling young heads with stories again, eh?" he said, running a hand over short, pure white hair.  

            The first old man smiled.  "They remind me of myself when I was younger."

            "Lots younger."

            The two laughed with a comfortable familiarity.  

            "Anyway, these two here are Sanji and Zoro."

            The second old man looked startled, but caught the wink his companion sent him and smiled.  "No Luffy?"

            "No," said Shuntaro gravely.  "Luffy was pirate king."

            "Little intimidated, huh?"

            "Guess so."

            "Sir," put in Hayato, "did you know the Going Merry crew too?"

            "I did," said the white-haired old man.

            The boys exchanged looks of surprise.  Here was a second person that recognized the name of the legendary ship.  "Do you think that one of us could become the next Pirate King?" ventured Shuntaro.

            The man studied them quietly.  "It helps if you're either incredibly brave or extremely stupid.  Are you?"

            "Shuntaro's got the stupid part down," said Hayato matter-of-factly with a hint of teasing.

            "And maybe the brave part too," said Shuntaro resolutely, refusing to be put out.  "Which was Luffy?"

            "Maybe a bit of both," replied the white-haired old man reflectively.

            "It helps," added the other.  

            "Really?  You honestly think we could do it?"

            The first old man looked at his friend.  "I…I think so…  I see something of myself in them.  A reckless sort of spark I think I may have lost over the years."

            "More like a 'danger?  Don't know that word' sort of idiocy more than youthful recklessness, actually.  But yes, a lot like you were."

            "I thought so."  The first old man pulled the straw hat from over his gray hair and looked at it reflectively.  "I had another one like this," he told the boys quietly, "but it had a red band around it, not blue."

            Shuntaro and Hayato glanced at each other with "so what?" expressions but still seemed not to have lost interest in the trove of pirate knowledge before them.  "What happened to it?"

            The man's eyes were soft, remembering.  "It was a friend's.  I had promised to give it back someday, and I managed to get the chance.  Tell you what, you keep it for me and bring it back when you become Pirate King.  Keep it safe, okay?"  He reached out, his arm seeming longer than natural for a moment, but neither boy took notice of that.  They eyes were only on the hat on Shuntaro's head.  

            "Something to work toward, huh?"

            "Yeah," agreed the man, rubbing a hand through his unkempt hair.  "Good luck."

            "Wow, cool!"  The two boys scampered off, spouting impossible plans for their futures.  

            The two men watched them leave, and then the white-haired man went and retrieved three swords from the place he had been napping.  Sitting down on the steps, he pulled out the white handled one and began to polish it with ease.  All three weapons were quite old, but well taken care of.  "You've become sentimental," he said to his friend.

            "I suppose so, Zoro," came the reply, "but we're still the same."

            "You really believe in those two?"

            "Yeah.  They'll do just fine."  He smiled, his face no longer shadowed by his hat, the sun shining on the scar beneath his left eye.  

Owari__


End file.
